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Habitat fragmentation is a major threat to species survival. It can create small, isolated or “patchy” populations difficult to access by the larger group; restricting the species capacity to recolonise after natural disaster or disease. As such, fragmented populations are more likely to experience inbreeding. This reduces genetic diversity (a process called “genetic erosion”), and further, the species resilience to disease and its’ ability to adapt to varied and changing climatic or environmental conditions. Without detection or management, fragmentation can cause a negative flow-on effect that heightens species extinction risk.
In a population informed by Atlas data, Hohwieler and others (2022) assess genetic erosion in Queensland koalas across two generations (2006 vs. 2018). A comparison of the genetic diversity between two generations of sourced physical samples (ear biopsy specimens and scats) found a decline in diversity that correlated substantially with accelerating anthropogenic factors such as urbanisation, traffic increases and habitat loss. Currently, categorising species and ecosystems’ status are provided by the International Union for Conservation (IUCN), but they do not contain any genetic diversity guidelines. The authors call for stronger requirements in these assessments, which will also hold useful in the management and conservation of remaining populations.
